Watch Dodge County’s Brody Lamb and Charlie Blaisdell interact in hockey practice, and the only reasonable conclusion is that they are mortal enemies.

What starts as routine bumping and jostling between Lamb, the state’s scoring leader, and Blaisdell, a defenseman with rare shutdown abilities, almost always escalates into raised elbows, sticks and tempers.

“They will go at it every day, and sometimes almost come to blows,” said Wildcats coach Nick Worden, tasked with managing the mayhem. “It’s almost nonstop.”

The duo’s fierce competitiveness is a big reason Dodge County, an amalgamation of seven Rochester-area high schools, has reached the state tournament for the first time in the program’s 23-year history.

The unseeded Wildcats (17-3-1) meet No. 1 seed but suddenly undermanned Hermantown (19-1) at 6 p.m. Tuesday in a Class 1A quarterfinal at Xcel Energy Center.

Lamb, a junior committed to the University of Minnesota, leads the state with 42 goals and 76 points despite being treated like a piñata by opposing defenders eager to throw him off his game. Those players are nothing compared to Blaisdell, a senior who knows exactly what it takes to get Lamb to blow his top.

“We push each other hard in practice, and tempers flare sometimes,” Lamb said. “Charlie is a big battler, he likes to push and shove and slash. In practice, it makes me mad. So in games, I’m just kind of used to it.”

Added Blaisdell: “We get mad at each other, and if he wants to swing a stick at me, I might swing mine at him. But at the end of the day, who cares? By the time we get in the locker room, we’ve already forgotten about it.”

Lamb lives in the countryside just west of Rochester and attends school in Byron. Part of his family’s acreage includes a metal storage shed that doubles as a mini-arena come winter, when the Lambs — his father, Jeff, played at Rochester Mayo and the University of Denver — erect boards and spray water on the floor. Brody said the rink’s size is roughly that of a regular ice sheet from a blue line to the end boards.

“I used it a lot when I was younger, when we would have three-on-three games in there and stuff,” Lamb said. “We’ll still play pickup, one-on-one and two-on-two, and do shooting drills.”

Lamb’s imaginative play and ability to outmaneuver opponents in tight spaces can be attributed in part to hundreds and hundreds of hours he’s spent on his home rink.

“He’s a different breed for sure,” Worden said of Lamb’s passion to be on the ice at all times of the day and night. “He’s the type of kid that, when we go play an away game and get back late at night, he wants to jump on the ice and go practice. He doesn’t get burnt out with it.”

For opponents, the Brody Lamb Experience includes the headaches that come with dealing with his exceptional speed and accurate shot. Opposing coaches say his toughness, honed from all those Blaisdell battles, in the corners and front of the net is rare for such a pure scorer.

Lamb’s scoring exploits — 49 goals and 72 points last season, his first at the high school level — are reminiscent of another southern Minnesota scoring superstar. Rochester John Marshall’s Scott Lecy scored 61 goals among his 112 points during the 1976-77 season culminated by the Rockets’ stunning 4-2 upset over Edina East for the one-class state championship.

“He’s going to be an even bigger deal down the road than what you see now,” Waseca coach Chris Storey said about Lamb. “He’s long and lean and hasn’t even grown into his body yet. He’s going to be scary, really scary.”

The 6-foot, 160-pound Lamb has 10 shorthanded goals this season, more than most teams.

“One less guy on the ice just means more room for Brody Lamb,” Storey said.

Lamb scored the game-winner in the Section 1 championship game, his rebound goal in the third period securing a 4-3 victory over Mankato West. In typical Lamb fashion, he drove hard to the crease even as the initial shot was being taken, snatched the rebound and popped it into an open net.

“That was probably one of the easiest goals I’ve ever scored,” Lamb said.

And easily the most important. Hockey is now at the top of the consciousness for the residents of Byron and Kasson — the main suppliers of players to the program — along with Blooming Prairie, Dodge Center, Hayfield, Pine Island and Zumbrota.

Local eating and drinking establishments have been showing the Wildcats’ playoff games on their TVs. Worden said the team were going to get a police and fire truck escort out of town when the Wildcats left for Tuesday’s game.

A social media post of goaltender Isaac Dale being asked to prom by his girlfriend on the ice minutes after Wednesday’s section championship has received thousands of views.

“Hockey is a lot different down south, I would say, compared to the cities,” Blaisdell said. “In our area wrestling is a pretty big sport. And basketball, too. Right now people down here are very excited about our team.” 

Aborted showdown: Hermantown and Gentry Academy, the top two Class 1A seeds and ranked No. 1 and 2 — in varying order — for most of the season were set to play March 12, but the highly anticipated game was called off that day because of concern about potential COVID-19 exposure (Hermantown’s JV squad was shut down after a March 8 game against Duluth East).

Shifting sections: Northern Lakes is something of a nomad when it comes to the playoffs, having been assigned by the Minnesota State High School League to both Class 1A and 2A and five sections (7AA, 8AA, 6A, 8A, 5A) since the Lightning’s inaugural 2006-07 season.

How to watch: Tickets for the quarterfinals are not available to the general public. The games are broadcast on Ch. 45 and livestreamed on www.prep45.com.

Wednesday’s 2A quarterfinals: The Class 2A tournament starts Wednesday at Xcel Energy Center. Here are the pairings:
11 a.m. No.2 Hill-Murray (18-2) vs. Wayzata (13-5)
1 p.m. No. 3 Lake­ville South (18-0-2) vs. Moorhead (13-7-1)
6 p.m. No. 1 Eden Prairie (18-1-2) vs. St. Thomas Academy (13-4-3)
8 p.m. No. 4 Maple Grove (20-1) vs. No. 5 Andover (18-2-1)